Instrument panel illumination



Npv. 28, 1950 P. J. KAYATT 2,531,516

INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION Filed Oct. 6, 1945 5 Sheets- Sheet 1 .53; lllhhz ":li INVENTOR.

' PHILIP J. KAYATT L'vJ-a' LN) BY 1 Nov. 28, 1950 P. J. KAYATT 2,531,516

INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION Filed Oct. 6, 1945 4 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z4 Z5 51 19 INVENTOR.

Prim P J KAYATF Nov. 28, 1950 P. J. KAYATT 2,531,516

INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION Filed Oct. 6, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 it @TOFRNEY Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION Philip J. Kayatt, New York, N. Y.

Application October 6, 1945, Serial No. 620,714

3 Claims. 1

My invention relates especially to the illuminatlon of panel boards for computers and the like where the space is very limited and it is necessary to provide adequate and yet uniform lighting of various dials. It is also desirous to confine the lighting to the panel, that is, the light should not illuminate the outside of the panel.

I have accomplished the desired results by arranging a plurality of small electric lamps inserted with reflectors in the edges of the panel frame. Parallel side plates are arranged to prevent the light rays from spreading outside of the panel.

The accompanying drawings and specification show and describe the preferred solution of the problem.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a panel frame on a small scale with lamps and reflectors shown dotted.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section on a larger scale of a panel frame embodying my invention and showing the location of various indicating dials and a fragment of the housing and its cover.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing one of the lamp, reflector and director units at the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of parts shown in Fig. 3 looking at them from the left.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of parts shown in Fig. 3 looking at them from the right.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing one of the units at the right of Fig. 1.

Figs. 8 and 9 are edge views of the same looking from the left and from the right, respectively.

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of the line IIl-Ill of Fig. 7.

Fig. 2 shows a fragment I4 of a casing enclosing dials such as I5 which must be illuminated in the dark. A frame I6 having a transparent glass or plastic face I! lies over the dials and is fastened in place by bolts I8. According to my invention, I provide a thin frame l9 which is interposed between the casing I4 and the outer frame I6. A connector 20 constitutes a part of the fastening device being screwed into the frame I4 and having the bolt I8 screwed on to it. This frame l9 and attached parts constitute the illuminating device. In the form shown, there are two lamp units 2|, 2| at one side and two lamp units 22, 22 at the opposite side. These units in general are similar and arranged to project'beams of light in the form of flat rays overlapping across the faces of the dials within the transparent cover plate I'I.

Each left hand lamp unit has a socket 23 supported in insulation 24 and enclosed by a, cover 25 which is secured to the frame I9 by bolts 26, 26. The inner face of the frame is grooved at 2'! to receive the inclined reflectors 28, 28 which are secured in place by screws such as 29 and the lamp bulbs. Midway between the reflectors, the frame has a passage 38 through which the stem of the lamp bulb 3| extends from the socket 23. In front of the lamp, I provide a sheet 32 of translucent material such as red Plexiglas which serves to give a diffused light sufficient to illuminate the dials. In some cases, red lamps may be used in place of the translucent sheet.

A series of director plates 33 and 34 are mounted in front of the Plexiglas to direct the rays in the plane of the space beneath the cover plate I7.

The units on the right hand side of the frame differ from those on the left hand side principally in that the mounting 35 for the lamp 36 is substantially all contained in a recess 3! in the frame, thus requiring a shallower cover 38. The lamps may have a different power from that of the left hand lamps if it is found that more or less light is required over the adjacent area of the panel. The director plates 39 may extend further beyond the lamps when the lights are more powerful.

In some cases it is desirable to use a sheet of polarizing material ill in place of the translucent sheet 32 or along with it to reduce reflection from the background.

By the foregoing construction, it is possible to get a widely diffused uniform illumination within a shallow space.

Other modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An instrument panel construction comprising a casing for containing the dials, a frame removably secured around the periphery of the casing and carrying illuminating means, a cover secured to said frame and having a transparent face through which the dials may be seen, said frame having recesses extending through each side each recess being open at its inner end toward the other side of the frame and at its outer end toward the outside of the frame, an illuminating bulb mounted in each recess insertable from the outside thereof for directing its rays across the face of the dials, a pair of reflector plates mounted in the inner part of each recess diverging from the bulb in said recess, and a set of narrow parallel directing plates carried by said frame and extending across the inner face of each recess, said parts being so arranged that the reflected rays of light from the bulbs on each side of the frame overlap each other whereby light from each side of the frame is divergently directed across the face of the dials to uniformly illuminate substantially all the dials.

2. An instrument panel construction comprising a casing for containing dials, a frame removably secured around the periphery of the casing for carrying illuminating means, a cover secured to said frame and having a transparent face through which dials in the casing may be seen, said frame having two recesses in each of two opposite sides each extending through the frame in its general plane and open at its outer end toward the outside of the frame, an illuminating bulb mounted in each recess insertable from the outside thereof for directing its rays across the face of the dials, pair of reflector plates mounted in the inner part of each recess diverging from the bulb in said recess, a set of narrow parallel directing plates carried by said frame and extending across the inner face of each recess, a diffusing plate carried by said frame on each side between the respective bulbs and said directing plates, said parts being so arranged that the refiected rays of light from the bulbs on each side of the frame overlap each other whereby light from each side of the frame is divergently directed across the space between the sides of the frame to uniformly illuminate substantially all said space.

3. In an illuminated panel, a flat frame member havin a recess extending through it in its plane, a combined light reflecting and diffusing unit secured at the inner part of said recess, an illuminating unit secured in the outer part of the recess in line with the combined reflecting and diffusing unit, means for detachably securing said illuminating unit in the outer part of said recess and a cover unit detachably secured to the outer part of said frame and enclosing the illuminating unit.

PHILIP J. KAYATT.

REFERENCES CITED lhe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,357,034 DHumy Oct. 26, 1920 1,786,768 Moorhouse Dec. 30, 1930 1,871,552 Padesky Aug. 16, 1932 1,985,922 Gelb Jan. 1, 1935' 2,033,235 Ferree et a1. Mar. 10, 1936 2,121,430 Guth June 21, 1938 2,261,029 Hopkins Oct. 28, 1941 2,262,920 Carbonara Nov. 18, 1941 2,272,806 Klein et a1 Feb. 10, 1942 2,347,665 Christensen et a1. May 2, 1944 

